ADULT, DISLOCATED AND ONE STOP OPERATOR SERVICES
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
#OS-08-2015-16-01
South Central Workforce Development Board
Local Workforce Investment Area 8
P. O. Box 580
130 LeGrande Avenue
Charlotte Court House, VA 23923
434-542-5871
www.southernvajobs.com
Equal Opportunity Employer/Program-Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor
Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities
TDD/TYY 711
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Purpose…………………………………………………………….3
II. Background…………………………………………………………3
III. Statement of Need………………………………………………….5
IV. Attachments……………………………………………………….16
Request for Proposals (RFP)
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
South Central Workforce Development Board (SCWDB)
Adult, Dislocated and One Stop Operator Services
Issue Date: Thursday, March 5, 2015
Pre-Proposal Conference: Friday, March 13, 2015 at 11:00 A.M.@ SCWDB Office
Deadline for Receipt of Proposals: Friday, April 10, 2015 at 4:30 P.M.
SCWDB Action: Thursday, April 23, 2015
CLEO Action: Friday, April 24, 2015
Deadline for Appeals: Friday, May 8, 2015
Effective Date: Wednesday, July 1, 2015
I. Purpose:
The SCWDB is soliciting proposals for a consortium of partners to establish a contract through competitive negotiation for the purchase of Adult, Dislocated Worker and One Stop Operator Services for the ten (10) counties in Local Workforce Investment Area 8 (LWIA 8) through the WIOA.
II. Background:
LWIA 8 consists of the 10 counties of Amelia, Brunswick, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Halifax, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway and Prince Edward. Funding is provided through the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) through the state entity of the Virginia Community College System and to the fiscal agent, Charlotte County.
The vision of the SCWDB is to have and promote a well-trained, well educated, highly skilled and qualified workforce that is actively engaged in lifelong learning and fulfilling the needs of local employers. This workforce will be critical to the attraction and retention of successful business and industry in the area and will help ensure a desirable quality of life. Through its demands for high performance, flexibility and customer satisfaction, the new workforce development system will ensure that employers, educators, job seekers and workers coalesce to promote economic development throughout Southside Virginia.
The goals of the SCWDB are to:
· Link local workforce investments with initiatives of local and regional economic development agencies;
· Connect access points for Workforce Center partners and integrate them into a seamless workforce development system;
· Assess the future needs of employers, workers and job seekers and oversee the development of responsive programs to meet those needs;
· Enhance the number of customers accessing the partners’ services and resources, including youth and at-risk groups that have not been actively engaged in accessing these services through a network of physical and internet access points;
· Increase satisfaction levels of job seekers, employers, youth and any other user of the system;
· Strive for continuous improvement in the workforce system and hold agencies including educational, training and services providers accountable for measurable outcomes.
Websites for resources regarding:
· WIOA: http://www.doleta.gov/WIOA/
· State Workforce System: http://www.elevatevirginia.org/
· Local SCWDB: www.southernvajobs.org
· Business Services: www.southbostonvaworkforcecenter.org
· Policies for Eligibility Requirements for Adult and Dislocated Workers, Definitions, Acceptable Verification and Documentation, Priority of Service, Selective Service Requirements and other state policies and guidance http://www.elevatevirginia.org/practitioners-corner/resources/
· Governor’s Workforce Initiative: https://governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/newsarticle?articleId=5787
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act will take effect on July 1, 2015 with some provisions taking effect July 1, 2016. The SCWDB reserves the right to modify policies and procedures based on regulations issued by the Department of Labor and/or new state policies and Virginia Workforce Letter guidance issued by Virginia Community College System (VCCS). At such time, all contracts will be modified to reflect the new regulations. Proposers must be willing to adhere to all new regulations surrounding tier of services and one stop delivery requirements, including but not limited to changes or additions to the One Stop Certification.
III. Statement of Need:
The SCWDB is soliciting proposals from a qualified consortium of partners to provide Adult, Dislocated Worker and One Stop Operator services for Area 8. Services may be expanded to include other applicable workforce opportunities as they become available regardless of the funding source.
The contract shall begin on July 1, 2015 and continue through June 30, 2016. The SCWCB reserves the option to renew the contract for two (2) additional years subject to negotiations. Maximum duration may not exceed three (3) years. The type of contract will be cost reimbursement therefore, all proposers must have sufficient available resources to operate the proposed program, if funded, during both start-up and during the time in which invoices are being processed for payment and until payment is received.
The RFP does not commit the SCWDB to award a contract or to pay any costs incurred in the preparation of a response to this RFP or be bound to procure or contract for these services. The SCWDB reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals received as a result of this RFP, to negotiate with any or all qualified proposers, or to cancel in part or in its entirety this RFP if it is in the best interest of the SCWDB to do so. The SCWDB may require the proposers selected to make a presentation, provide additional information and/or participate in negotiations and to submit any revisions in writing for their proposals as may result from negotiations.
This document constitutes the official RFP and all terms and conditions shall become, through incorporation by reference, a part of any contract entered into as well as the winning proposal, budget and all negotiation points.
The locations and types of Workforce Centers are:
Comprehensive: South Boston Workforce Center*
2506 Houghton Ave.
South Boston, VA 24592
*The South Boston Center is currently Tier I Certified and proposers will need to adhere to the general expectation that the Center will remain certified according to WIOA, state and local policies and regulations and adhere to continuous improvement practices described in WIOA Section 101(d)(6).
Satellite: Charlotte Workforce Center
400 Thomas Jefferson Hwy.
P. O. Box 440
Charlotte Court House, VA 23923
Farmville Workforce Center South Hill Workforce Center
225-B Industrial Park Rd. 111 East Danville St.
Farmville, VA 23901 South Hill, VA 23970
Additional informational sites shall be located in each county where a comprehensive or satellite center does not exist.
The One Stop Operator shall be certified by the SCWDB with the agreement of the chief local elected officials (CLEO) and may terminate for cause such operators. [WIOA Section 121 (d) (1)] The One Stop Operator shall be designated as a consortium that includes 3 or more of the one stop partners described in Section 121 (b)(1) who have demonstrated effectiveness in the local area. The eligible partners include:
· An institution of higher education;
· An employment service State agency established under the Wagner-Peyser Act (on behalf of the local office of the agency);
· A community-based organization, nonprofit organization, or intermediary;
· A private-for-profit entity; a government agency; and
· Other interested organization or entity, which may include a local chamber of commerce or other business organization or a local labor organization.
In addition, one stop operators shall: [Section 121(d)(4)]
· Disclose any potential conflicts of interest arising from the relationships of the operators with particular training service providers or other service providers;
· Not establish practices that create disincentives to providing services to individuals with barriers to employment who may require longer-term services, such as intensive employment, training and education services; and
· Comply with Federal regulations and procurement policies relating to the calculation and use of profits;
· Provide legal status of all non-governmental entities or agencies;
· Include a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) by all participating consortium members that outlines responsibilities and commitments of each member;
· Provide specific information concerning the proposers’ qualifications, experience and abilities to deliver the services described in the RFP;
· Include in the identification of products, programs, activities, services, facilities, related property and materials a common one stop delivery identifier.
A. Services in a One Stop Delivery System that shall be provided include at a minimum;
1. Career Services for adults and dislocated workers-[Section 134(c)(2)] -Career services are not required prior to receiving training services.
a. Determination of eligibility to receive services through the adult and/or dislocated worker programs;
b. Outreach, intake and orientation to the information and services available through the one stop delivery system;
c. Initial assessment of skill levels (including literacy, numeracy, and English language proficiency), aptitudes, abilities (including skills gaps), and supportive service needs;
d. Labor exchange services, including job search and placement assistance, career counseling that includes provision of information on in-demand industry sectors and occupations; provision of information on nontraditional employment; appropriate recruitment and other business services on behalf of employers, including small employers, in the local area, which services may include providing information and referral to specialized business services not traditionally offered through the one stop delivery system;
e. Provision of referrals to and coordination of activities with other programs and services, including program and services within the one stop delivery system, and in appropriate cases, other workforce development programs;
f. Provision of workforce and labor market employment statistics information, including the provision of accurate information relating to local, regional and national labor market areas, including job vacancy listings in such labor market areas; information on job skills necessary to obtain the jobs described in such job vacancy listings and information relating to local occupations in demand and the earnings, skill requirements and opportunities for advancement for such occupations;
g. Provision of performance information and program cost information on eligible training providers by program; eligible providers of youth workforce investment activities, adult education, career and technical education at the postsecondary level and for school dropouts, and providers of vocational rehabilitation services;
h. Provision of information, in formats that are user-friendly and understandable to one stop center customers, regarding how the local area is performing on the local performance accountability measures and any other performance information with respect to the one stop delivery system in the local area;
i. Provision of information, in formats that are user-friendly and understandable to one stop center customer, relating to the availability of supportive services or assistance, including childcare, child support, medical or child health assistance, benefits under the supplemental nutrition assistance program, earned income tax credit, temporary assistance for needy families and other supportive services and transportation provided through funds made available in the local area;
j. Referral to the services or assistance described in (i) above.
k. Provision of information and assistance regarding filing claim for unemployment compensation;
l. Assistance in establishing eligibility for programs of financial aid assistance for training and education programs not funded under WIOA;
m. Services, if determined to be appropriate in order for an individual to obtain or retain employment, that consist of comprehensive and specialized assessments of the skill levels and service needs of adults and dislocated workers (which may include diagnostic testing and use of other assessment tools and/or in-depth interviewing and evaluation to identify employment barriers and appropriate employment goals);
n. Development of an individual employment plan (IEP), to identify the employment goals, appropriate achievement objectives, appropriate combination of services for the participant to achieve the employment goals, and career pathways to attain career objectives;
o. Provision of group counseling, individual counseling and career planning;
p. Provision of short-term prevocational services, including development of learning skills, communication skills, interviewing skills, punctuality, personal maintenance skills, and professional conduct, to prepare individuals for unsubsidized employment or training;
q. Provision of workforce preparation activities, work experiences and internships linked to careers;
r. Provision of financial literacy services;
s. Assistance with out-of-area job search and relocation;
t. Acquisition of English language and integrated education and training programs;
u. Provision of follow-up services, including counseling regarding the workplace, for participants in workforce investment activities authorized by WIOA who are placed in unsubsidized employment, for not less than 12 months after the first day of employment, as appropriate;
v. Projection of adults and dislocated workers to be served by Center.
2. Training Services for adults and dislocated workers-[Section 134(c)(3)
a. Occupational skills training, including training for nontraditional employment;
b. On the job training;
c. Incumbent worker training;
d. Programs that combine workplace training with related instruction, which may include cooperative education programs;
e. Training program operated by the private sector;
f. Skill upgrading and retraining;
g. Entrepreneurial training;
h. Transitional jobs;
i. Job readiness training provided in combination with a-h above;
j. Adult education and literacy activities, including activities of English language acquisition and integrated education and training programs, provided concurrently or in combination with services described in a-g above;
k. Customized training conducted with a commitment by an employer or group of employers to employ an individual upon successful completion of the training.
l. Projections of numbers to be served, number of credentials, number of employed and number of on the job training contracts.
3. Business Services that include team(s) composed of partners in the local area to serve needs of employers to:
a. Improve coordination between workforce investment activities and economic development activities carried out within the local area involved;
b. Promote entrepreneurial skills training and microenterprise services;
c. Improve services and linkages between the local workforce investment system and employers, including small employer, in the local area by providing needed services;
d. Strengthen linkages between the one stop delivery system and unemployment insurance programs;